LAPD investigations limited by budget cuts

Word that the L.A. city budget crisis is now having a major impact on the Los Angeles Police Department. Homicide detectives are being forced to take days off and their overtime hours have been slashed, hurting their ability to solve murder cases. It's not just homicide detectives, it's also SWAT, K-9 and other special units affected by the lack of any overtime. Instead of overtime, police officers are forced to take time off, and that's affecting the morale as well as the number of police officers on the street. According to LAPD Chief Charlie Beck, it will soon affect operations at local police stations.

Homicide investigators are used to working long hours, but because of the budget crisis there is no more overtime for them or for other police officers. No overtime pay means homicide detectives can't investigate killings for days or weeks.

Chief Beck said last month giving officers forced time off instead of overtime cost the department the equivalent of 292 officers on the street.

"But remember: This is a cascading problem. By the end of summer, we will be at about 600, by my calculation, reduced workforce, due to compensatory overtime," said Beck.